Society of Woman Geographers

The Society of Woman Geographers was established in 1925 at a time when women were excluded from membership in most professional organizations, such as the Explorers Club, who would not admit women until 1981.[1][2] It is based in Washington, D.C., and has 500 members.[3] Groups are located in Chicago, Florida, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco.[4]

The society was organized by four friends, Gertrude Emerson Sen, Marguerite Harrison, Blair Niles and Gertrude Mathews Shelby, to bring together women interested in geography, world exploration, anthropology and related fields.[5][6] Membership was restricted to women who had "done distinctive work whereby they have added to the world's store of knowledge concerning the countries on which they have specialized, and have published in magazines or in book form a record of their work."[1]

The society's first president was Harriet Chalmers Adams, who held the post from December 1925 until 1933.[7] Marion Stirling Pugh served as its president twice, in 1960–1963 and 1969–1972.[8] Famous members included: historian Mary Ritter Beard, photographer Margaret Bourke-White, novelist Fannie Hurst, mountain climber Annie Smith Peck, anthropologist Margaret Mead, Eleanor Roosevelt, and author Grace Gallatin Seton Thompson.[1]

  1. ^ a b c Ware, Susan (1988). Letter to the World: Seven Women who Shaped the American Century. New York: W.W. Norton. ISBN 0-393-04652-4.
  2. ^ Eppinga, J. (2009). They Made Their Mark: An Illustrated History of the Society of Woman Geographers. Globe Pequot. pp. 218–220. ISBN 978-0-7627-4597-5.
  3. ^ "What is "The Society of Woman Geographers"?". Alan Squire Publishing. May 27, 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  4. ^ "About The Society of Woman Geographers". The Society of Woman Geographers. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
  5. ^ White, April (April 12, 2017). "The Intrepid '20s Women Who Formed an All-Female Global Exploration Society Excluded from the men-only Explorers Club, they established their own group for adventurers". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  6. ^ Olds, Elizabeth (1985). Women of the Four Winds. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0-395-36199-0.
  7. ^ Anema, Durlynn (2004). Harriet Chalmers Adams: Adventurer and Explorer. Aurora, Colorado: National Writers Press. ISBN 0-88100-131-7.
  8. ^ "Marion Stirling Pugh, 89". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2020-05-14.